The simplest input there is. Drop a .txt file (a draft, a transcript, a downloaded classic) and listen with a narrator you choose.
What happens to your text file
Plain text has no structure, so Book2Speech infers it: blank lines separate paragraphs, lines that look like chapter headings (“Chapter 3”, “Part Two”, “Prologue”, a line starting with #) become chapter breaks, and a very long unbroken text is split into listenable sections of similar length.
A “Title:” or “Author:” line near the top of the file is used as the book’s metadata, so the library shows the right name instead of the file name. Save the file as UTF-8 so accented characters and curly quotes narrate correctly.
Where text files usually trip up text-to-speech
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Hard-wrapped lines: text wrapped at 70 characters is re-flowed within each paragraph so sentences are not chopped.
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Licence headers and contents lists at the top of a downloaded classic are classified as front matter, so the suggested starting point is the first chapter.
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Markdown headings (# Chapter One) are recognised; other Markdown marks are read as written, so strip heavy formatting first.
Narration built for whole books, not snippets
Generic text-to-speech reads one paragraph at a time. Book2Speech is tuned for long-form listening: chapters are detected and kept in order, front matter (title pages, copyright notices, tables of contents) is recognised so you can start at chapter one, and playback streams ahead so the narrator never stalls mid-sentence.
Pick from 260+ narrators in 40+ languages. Every narrator has a sample, and you can switch voices on a book you have already started.
Three steps
1.
Drop the file above (or open Book2Speech and choose it). Parsing takes a few seconds.
2.
Pick a narrator. Play the samples until one fits the book.
3.
Press play. Narration starts within seconds and keeps generating ahead of you.
Listen where you read
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Web: listen in the browser on any laptop or desktop, with read-along highlighting of the sentence being spoken.
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iPhone and iPad: the Book2Speech app plays in the background, supports a sleep timer and speed control, and accepts files from the share sheet or the Files app.
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Your listening position syncs across devices, so a chapter started on the laptop continues on the phone.
Limitations worth knowing
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Files up to 5 MB (about two million words of plain text).
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Chapter detection is heuristic; a file with no headings becomes evenly sized sections.
Your files, your rights
Upload files you own or have the right to use, up to 5 MB, without DRM. Books stay in your private library until you delete them; deleting your account removes them. Book2Speech does not resell, publish or train voices on your uploads.
Questions people ask
Can I paste text instead of uploading a file?
Save it as a .txt file first (any text editor can). Drop that file here and narration starts within seconds.
What about RTF or Markdown?
RTF is accepted directly. Markdown reads fine as .txt when the file is mostly prose: # headings become chapters.
Can I turn a transcript or notes into audio?
Yes. Anything you can save as text can be narrated: lecture notes, meeting transcripts, drafts, fan fiction.
Is it free?
The Free plan includes 5 minutes of narration to try any file; paid plans add hours of new narration every month (see Plans).